A cast of quirky animals takes readers for a fun ride on all sorts of vehicles – some familiar, some not-so – in this rollicking rhyme about things that go. Rather than the typical alphabet book of matching letters and pictures, this one has a rhyme full of information about each vehicle that is presented by the vehicle itself. Each vehicle is ‘driven’ by a creature whose name starts with the same letter as the transport – the koala and kangaroo are in charge of the kayak – so young readers will have fun, and perhaps be challenged by, naming the drivers (and passengers) while also finding other items beginning with the same letter in the illustrations. The endpapers are a treat offering the entire alphabet on a large truck so little ones can test their knowledge while the last page is a surprise!

They can begin early classification activities by sorting the vehicles into land, sea or air or even by the way they are propelled. perhaps suggesting others that are not featured in the book. Or they might start with the creatures they know and make suggestions about the mode of transport they would be in charge of.

Despite its slightly American bias (which most young readers just accept anyway), this is an enjoyable read that will have early readers returning to again and again as not only is there something new to find each time which encourages attention to the detail in the pictures, but it allows them to read it for themselves without an adult present – a critical aspect of early reading behaviour that instils confidence and an expectation of success.

A book that offers so much more than it first appears – if you have early readers or those learning English as another language, it would be a worthwhile investment.